Liquid applicator and dispenser



E. MORRiLL ETAL LIQUID APPLICATOR AND DISPENSER Filed Oct. 18, 1952 F! G 4 ,5 37 a7 /5 FIG 6 /4 '2 :3 H f 33 a5 5 23 34 i all 35 5 3 3a 38 39 r 40 9 40 13 40 22 I6 1 20 32 a1 13 20 1 INVENTORS. /5 5 ELLIOTT MORRILL B LESLIE M. CLARK ATTORNEY United States LI Um APPLICATOR AND DISPENSER Elliott Merrill, Indianapolis, and Leslie M. Clark, Beech Grove, Ind assignors to The Best Foods, ind, New York, N. Y., a corporation of New Jersey Application October 18, 1952, Serial No. 315,496

2 Claims. (Cl. 15-136) The present invention relates to liquid applicators and dispensers, and more specifically to a simple unitary apparatus which will both dispense a desired amount of a liquid to a surface to be treated and provide an eflicient means for spreading or applying the liquid over a larger area of the surface.

It is a principal object of the invention to provide an improved liquid applicator and dispenser combination that is simple and compact in construction and is capable of accomplishing its intended functions in an efiicient and trouble-free manner.

Another object of the invention is to provide a liquid applicator and dispenser that is inexpensive to manufacture.

An additional Object of the invention is to provide an applicator and dispenser device which in combination with a flexible container serves to contain a liquid in a leak-resistant condition, resisting expulsion of the liquid due to shock and dropping durin storage, and yet to make possible ready dispensing and application of the liquid by simple manipulation.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a liquid applicator and dispenser device which is superior in its ability to resist clogging of the liquid in its channels.

It is contemplated that the device of the invention may be used to dispense and apply a large variety of liquids and semi-liquids to solid surfaces. The device is adaptable to use with both solvent and water types of solutions, suspensions and emulsions which are used to treat solid surfaces. It is particularly adaptable for the dispensing and application of liquids used to treat shoes and other leather surfaces; including such liquids as: colored shoe polishes, shoe dyes, sole-edge dressing, suede and gabardine dressing and other shoe and leather dressings. it may also be used for the application of dyes to textile fabrics. The applicator-dispenser device of the invention is highly advantageous for use with white liquid shoe polishes. The latter are usually thick suspensions or emulsions containing large amounts of solids which have a tendency to dry an form a solid plug in the channels of a dispenser. By using the device of the present invention, there is provided a means of exerting positive pressure sufiicient to loosen and expel the dry plug and thus free the channels of the dispenser. In addition to providing a means for freeing the channels of dried materials, the present device is unique in that it will also provide a closure means which will resist leaking or expulsion of the liquid due to accidental squeezing, dropping, etc., when the dispenser is in a closed condition. This latter property is of importance as the user of a polishing liquid may desire to include the liquid with his luggage while travelling. In the course of handling, the liquid container may be subiected to shock, dropping and squeezing. The leak-resistant properties of the device of the invention prevent damage, loss and inconvenience F together with the advantages of the invention, will be readily comprehended by persons skilled in the art upon reference to the following description, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, which respectively describe and illustrate two preferred forms of equipment in accordance with the invention.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side view of the combination of a liquid container and an applicator and dispenser device embodying the invention;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the device and container shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a side view of the device and container of Figure 1 from the opposite side;

Figure 4 is a vertical cross-sectional view of the device of Figure 1 taken along the line 44 with part of the container omitted, showing the dispenser in open position;

Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 55 of Figure 4-; and

Figure 6 is a counterpart of Figure 4 but showing the dispenser in the closed position.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference numerals denote corresponding parts throughout the several views, the liquid applicator-dispenser includes a cap or closure 11 which acts as the dispensing head. Affixed to or integral with the dispensing head is an applicator surface 12 for spreading the expelled or dispensed liquid over the surface or material to be treated. The applicator-dispenser closure is intended to function in cooperation with a flexible container 13 preferably having a relatively narrow neck and opening with which the applicator-dispenser closure may be engaged. The container may be a plastic bottle made of polyethylene or similar plastic material. Laminated compositions of plastic materials and the like, foils and paper which may be molded are also satisfactory. It is essential for best results that the container be flexible enough to permit squeezing of the contents through the opened dispenser and be chemically resistant to the liquid 16 to be dispensed. The container may be of any size that will contain a convenient and sufficiently large volume of liquid.

The cap or closure 11 may be satisfactorily made of a number of materials. Any material which is chemically resistant to the liquid to be dispensed and which has a reasonable degree of rigidity may be used. A number of the plastics have been found to be suitable, such as methyl methacrylate (Lucite), cellulose acetate, cellulose acetate butyrate, and the thermoplastic resins, including polyethylene, etc. Polyethylene, when used, may have the applicator material molded into, or fused into it. in those cases where the applicator material is afiixed to the closure with an adhesive, it is recommended that a material other than polyethylene be used for best results.

The applicator surface 12 may be of any material which will readily spread the liquid. When it is used to rub the liquid over the surface to be treated, a high pile textile material which is not attacked by the liquid provides a satisfactory surface for spreading and rubbing the liquid into the material to be treated. For example, the applicator may be made of wool mohair plush similar to that used in carpeting. The pile 14 or top of the applicator provides an ideal spreading surface for a white liquid shoe polish. The backing 15 may be cemented to the dispensing closure 11 at 17 with any adhesive which will cause the applicator to remain fast. It may also be convenient to mold or fuse the applicator surface into the plastic closure when it is being formed or while soft. The applicator surface need not be of large area. The surface of the applicator may be fiat or slightly arcuate as shown in Figures 4 and 6.

1911 invcntiencontemplates equipment in which the closure .-ll.hav-.ing--integral therewith the applicator 12 shall be used in engagement with a container 13 containing a liquid material 16. The closure is interlocked V witlfthe-tcontainer s asto resist disengagement. The closureirmay be rotatableabout the neck and axis ofthe container to etfect openi-nga-nd closing of the dispensing closure; :Theeontainer and the closure may be equipped mlthzruatching indicia no show when the dispenser is open or closed. As shown inFigures 1 .and.3 the closure 11 may be equipped with a raised arrow 1810 match a raised indicating-markerflQ :10 show .when the dispenser closure is finzithe open-position. When. the closure. 1?. is rotated 180 degrees it will align with indication marker 29 to, indicatathat thedispenserclosnreuis: in. the closed position.

' indicatiugamarken. .rltl is,.:of course, iapparent that other means for informing the user when the dispenser is open oracloseihmayzbelnsed.

One embodiment of the invention may be illustrated by:reierence IdEigures 4, 5 and 6 of the drawings. In this embodiment of the..device of the invention, the

' closure Ellis fitted :over the relatively narrow neck .31

ofitthe container, bottle'lfir The neck 31 is fitted with a close=fitting:l1ollow;plug .32 equipped with a flange 33 whichsextends. to Qt-he :external; diameter of the lip 34 of 'tzheqneckmfwthe liquidcontainer. The side of the neck of {the container and the plug are pierced with a hole 35 bynmeanszof asharp pointed instrument, by burning the holethroughbymeans;of aheated rod or drilling. Also,

theholemay be molded .into the neck of the container andihollow plug when these parts are being manufactured andthe iholes in each part aligned with each other when assembling-.the deyice; The. closure 11 is equipped with a channel QG-Jeadingto the orifice 37. and communicating with the verticalpassage 38 of generally semi-circulancross-section which is designed to engage with the 11918.55 .inIthe .co'ntainer and plug. As a matter of expudiencyin molding the closure 11, the channel 36 may be straightrather-than curved near the orifice 37 as shown inFigures-4-and- 6 of the drawings. The channel Y36 and vertical passage 38 are intended to permitdispensing of the-liquid 16 .while in registration with the hole 35 when the container 13 is inverted and squeezed. By this means .theramount-of liquid dispensed may be regulated by thecxtentztowhich the container is squeezed. When the- :proper ;amount of liquid has been dispensed, the closure.,may .be rotated about the axis of the container untilihearrowlS is aligned with the closed indicator markerlfi. .It is notessential that the dispenser be closed before the liquid is applied to the surface, since liquid will i-normall-y,-bc expelled only when the container is squeezed. Thusiheclosing may take place after applicationlof gtheu-iliquid to the surface. The expelled liquid isJ-appliedto the surface .to'be treated by spreading and rubbing with the. applicator 12. 7

.While'. in .the closed position the dispenser closure will 2,827,650 I I a Va;

resist leakage. The closure 11 may be efiectively aifixed to the neck-31 of the containerand yet permit free rotation The terms and expressions employed are used as terms of description and not of limitation, and it is not intended, in the use of such terms and expressions, to exclude any equivalents ofthe features shown and described or portions thereof, but it is recognized that 7 various modifications are possible within the scope of the invention claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An apparatus comprising a ,fiexible resilient container havinganeck containing a passage through the side. thereof, a. closure rotatably mounted on'said neck a and having an applicator surface on one side thereof only and an internal passage extendingfrom the side 7 e of said neck and terminating as an orifice in the top of the closure, said orifice being spacedfromthe .applicator surface, thepassagein the neck of the container and the internal passage of the closure being so con-j structed and arranged that upon rotation .of-theclosure the passages align and thus permit fluid to fiow frorn said container upon squeezing the same and whenmot aligned fluid is sealed Within the container.

2. An apparatus comprising a flexible resilient container having a neck containing a transverse passage therein, a hollow plug fitting within the .neckof said container and having a transverse passage in. alignment with the passage insaid neck, a non-removable closure rotatably mounted on the neck of said container having an applicator surface on one side thereof only and an' References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 457,826 Meeker Aug. ,18, .1891 1,068,372 Thomas July 22,1913 1,765,281 MacDonald June 17,1930

1,766,529 'Peirson June 24,1930 2,068,213 Wilson Jan. 19, 1937 2,289,021 Kingman July 7, 1942 2,314,538 Hollenbeck Marf23, 1943 2,357,964 Marder 'Sept. '12, 1944 

